Tibetan newborn recovering after life-saving charity appeal

A baby girl born last month with a serious digestive disorder celebrated her first Tibetan New Year on Thursday after a charity appeal secured the operation needed to save her life.

Dianzin Gyezang, born on Jan. 1, returned home to Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, a week ago, after being treated in the more developed neighboring Sichuan Province for more than a month.

Right after she was born by Caesarean at a maternity hospital in Lhasa, Dianzin Gyezang was diagnosed with esophageal atresia. The condition causes the esophagus, which carries food from the mouth to the stomach, to fail to develop normally. In most cases, the upper esophagus ends without properly connecting with the stomach.

"In Lhasa, there's no hospital capable of performing the surgery," said Wang Bin, head of the hospital in which Dianzin Gyezang was born. Early on Jan. 4, when the baby's condition deteriorated, Wang shared a post for help with his friends via instant messaging service WeChat. The information was forwarded thousands of times during a couple of hours.

Wang's call resulted in a swift response. Later the same morning, an Air China plane took Dianzin Gyezang to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan. Doctors with the People's Hospital of Sichuan reconnected the two ends of her esophagus for free.

The baby's fate attracted great attention from media and the public. Her mother, a 36-year-old single domestic worker from a remote village of Xigaze City, has received donations from individuals and a local charity.

The Sichuan hospital halved the cost of the baby's intensive care, which totaled more than 300,000 yuan (about 48,939 U.S. dollars). The remaining half was covered by the Lhasa hospital and donations.

Dianzin Gyezang, who was also found to be suffering from a congenital heart disease, is now in a stable condition, according to Jiang Zizhen, who employs the baby's mother. Jiang accompanied Dianzin Gyezang during her treatment in Chengdu since her mother was recovering from the Caesarean.

The baby is expected to lead a normal life after she receives surgery to cure the heart defect at the age of four or five. A Beijing hospital has promised to perform the operation for free, according to Jiang.

Wang Bin said the maternity hospital would make a donation of 1,000 yuan per month until Dianzin Gyezang reaches 18, to ease the burden on the single mother.

Wang paid for the flight to Chengdu personally, while Jiang covered the return ticket.